Creating a Quieter Hospital: Enloe Medical Center 2009-2014

First few Article Sentences

Enloe Medical Center has been on a long journey towards creating a quieter environment for our patients. In 2009, close to 35% of Enloe’s patients said their hospital room was “always” quiet at night. That put Enloe in the lowest 5% in the country. Granted, the majority of patient care occurred in a tower built in 1980, with hard surfaces and increasingly crowded nursing stations. Patients usually shared a room with another ill person. In that environment, however, awareness about the restorative effect of quiet on patients and staff was lacking.

In 2006, Enloe became a Planetree affiliate, aspiring to create a more patient-centered experience throughout the organization. Efforts began to improve performance on the recently released HCAHPS measures. Our new Planetree Leadership Team created the Quiet Hospital Task Force which embarked on a journey to make an impact on the noise level in the hospital. Enloe was also planning the new Magnolia Tower, slated to open in 2012, with design elements and materials intended to create a calmer, quieter space.